Behind the Monster
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: Gwen goes looking for Kevin to try and get through to him. She succeeds...partially... Gwevin Angst.


**I have Angstitis. Shoot me someone, please! Okay...focus, Solora... You can make something fluffy out of this... Make something fluffy... I have no guarantees. This fic will probably be tainted with Angst. I offer my most sincere apologies in advance. At least I'm trying to pull a Gwevin out of this whole emotional mess! Here goes! In this fic, Gwen goes out to find Kevin after the whole incident of the latest episode. I won't go into the events here, because I might go on another ranting spree. Let's just type.**

Gwen stared at the large, broken, gray factory. She remembered the last time she had been here. They had been trying to stop Cash from going mad with power over a robotic arm. 'How fitting...' She thought grimly. 'To end up back here to do the same thing with Kevin.' She turned off the mana in her hand. She didn't want to alert Kevin to her presence until she was sure of his mental state. If he was still crazy, an encounter would just hurt her. So, if he was still mad, she would leave.

…

Honest! She'd leave! One look and she'd be gone! 'Oh, who am I kidding? I'm going to talk to him even if he throws an anvil at my face!' Considering how he was when he left, that might not be such a far-fetched idea. She took a deep breath, steeling her courage, before walking toward the building.

Kevin heard her long before she opened the door. A hiss rose in his throat. He didn't want to see anyone! 'Bad! Bad appearance! Can't think... Buzzing...so much buzzing...' "Gwen? Is that you?" 'No! Don't call out! Bad, very bad... Wasps flying...mind...hurting...'

Gwen's heart leaped in her chest. She could hear him! Behind that false deep voice, she could hear the real Kevin. 'I can do this.' "Yes, Kevin. It's me." She took a step forward.

"Come closer..." Kevin can feel the deep longing in his voice. He could see her fiery red hair, her emerald green eyes. She was so beautiful... 'And I'm...' "No! Stop! Go away!" He took an abrupt step back into the shadows. "Don't move!" 'Monster. Bad monster. Power...much power. Mana. Power. STOP!'

"Kevin..." Gwen choked on the word. Kevin was frightened. Of _her_? "I won't hurt you..."

Rage flared up in Kevin's chest. "Yes you will!" He spat. "They all do! Get out of here before I kill you myself!" 'Hurt...pain...so pain...hurting...'

A tear trickled down Gwen's cheek. "No, Kevin. I'll never hurt you." She reached out her hand. "Please trust me."

'Trust...no trust...can't trust...love...hate...HURTS!' She was getting closer! "STAY AWAY!" With a bellow of agony and anger, he swung his Taedenite arm. Crystal hits soft cloth and skin as Gwen slams into the wall.

Gwen let out a soft whimper of pain. It felt like a giant mallet was pounding her skull over and over again. She had seen the blow coming. She hadn't bothered to raise her defenses. She wouldn't use them here. She wouldn't fight him. She would just wait. Wait and see.

'Hurt...hurt...her...' Kevin's unfocused eyes widened with horror. "Gwen!" He lunged forward and picked up the fragile Anodite girl. She let out a cry of pain. 'Tight...hold too tight...' He quickly loosened his grip. Her eyes were closed. 'Not sleep...don't sleep...no sleep...' He shook her. He wanted her awake. Her head lolled to the side and she moaned. He was still hurting her! 'No...no hurt...' He tried to remember. How had he held her before? 'Fuzzy...too fuzzy... Power!' She was filled with mana. Magic. Power. If he could just absorb her...he'd be... 'NO!' He dropped her to the ground and jumped back, digging his heels into the cold stone ground.

Gwen felt herself falling to the floor again. More bruises appeared on her arm, side, and head. 'Gotta get up...gotta stand...' She flinched as she stood. The fall had twisted her ankle. She looked at Kevin. His form was blurred with shadows, tears, and pain. She took a step forward. She didn't care if he hurt her again! She needed to touch him just once. She wanted him to hold her. Her thoughts went fleetingly to his gentle kisses...his soft caresses... "K-Kevin..." She gasped. "P-Please..." She felt her knees buckle. She was falling back to the chilly floor.

All of a sudden, Kevin could feel his vision clearing. She was so...small. He stepped forward and caught her in his bulky arms. He drew her close. He could feel a new type of energy coming from her. It was warm. He pulled her closer, nuzzling his mutilated face into her skin. 'Gwen...soft...so warm...'

Gwen opened her eyes slowly and smiled. She didn't care that Kevin's arms weren't his human arms. She didn't see his terrifying face. At the moment, this was Kevin. This wasn't the monster. The monster was trying to beat down the Kevin she knew and loved. Right now, it was losing. She reached up with her sore arms and wrapped them around Kevin's neck, holding his head gently. She heard him let out a sob. "Shh..." She stroked the black hair that ran down the back of his neck. It still felt the same... "It's okay. It's okay."

"Don't leave..." Kevin moaned into the crook of her neck. "Don't go... It hurts... Hurts so much..."

"I won't." Gwen assured him, planting a soft kiss on his scarlet forehead. "I'm here. I'm here." She gazed into his eyes. They were no longer obsidian gems. Now, they were pools of terrified and confused yellow-green. They closed at her kiss. Feeling familiar urges returning, she began to plant kiss after kiss all across his face. The skin was hard, misshapen, and unfamiliar. Still, she could feel a certain warmth beneath her fingertips. Through this shell, she was kissing Kevin, just as she had done before. With each kiss came a whispered: "It's okay", "Relax.", or "I won't hurt you...". Finally, she touched her lips to his yellow, Jetray mouth. "I love you." She could feel hot wetness spilling down her face.

'Love...' Kevin could feel a sweet warmth rising up in his chest. 'Love...' "I...I love you..." His voice was more of a growl. 'Love...Love...Mana!' Kevin's eyes snapped open and he threw her away from him. She managed to land on her feet. She was staring at him with a mixed expression of hurt, sadness, and confusion. "Go now!" He shouted desperately. "Go!"

"Kevin, you need-"

"I don't want to hurt you!" He wailed. "Leave!" Before he could change his mind, Kevin turned and spread his wings. With a roar of anguish, he shot straight up and out of the factory. Shards of broken glass cut into his skin. The pain...it felt so much better than the flies...the flies buzzing in his brain... So much better...

Gwen felt herself break down to the ground. Her shoulders shook with body-wracking shudders. Tears soon created a salty, bitter pool in front of her.

"_Gwen? Gwen, do you copy? Where are you?"_ Ben's voice came out of her Plumber badge.

"I'm at the factory, Ben." Her voice cracked. "Could you..."

"_On my way."_ Ben's voice was tender and soft, as if he already knew what was going on.

Gwen laid down on the ground and curled up into a ball. "I promise, Kevin..." She muttered resolutely. "I'm going to save you..."

**I DON'T LIKE WRITING ANGST! *moans* And the Angstitis didn't go away! I feel like I could write another one. CURSE YOU MAN OF ACTION! CURSE YOU! *takes deep breath* Okay Solora...just repeat to yourself... There are fifty two episodes to this series. Kevin is bound to come back by then... Unless the future episode is gonna be reality... NO! *slaps self* Bad Solora! Kevin WILL come back! Kevin will come back... Kevin will come back... Please review. I need others to share my pain...**


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